Funding for social care announced in budget

Wednesday 8 March 2017

The Chancellor Phillip Hammond has today announced funding of £2 billion over the next three years for the social care system in England.

We’re pleased the Government has finally recognised the challenges facing a chronically underfunded system. The £1bn that will be available in 2017-18 is the bare minimum needed to keep the system afloat this year.

For months, we’ve been joining health sector leaders, councils and campaigners calling on the Government to urgently address the dire state of the social care system. £5 billion was cut from the adult social care budget in the last parliament, leaving more than a million people without the care they need.

Short term fix

Our Chief Executive, Michelle says: “We welcome the Government’s £2 billion cash boost for social care over the next three years. It will help, in the short term, to keep the social care system in England afloat but it is not a long term fix.

“The Government must now push ahead urgently with finding a long-term solution for social care funding. We're seeing increasing numbers of people with MS being denied the care they need to help manage this challenging and unpredictable condition. People with MS, their families and carers, and the NHS shouldn’t have to keep shouldering the consequences of an underfunded care system."

Long-term solution still needed

A Green Paper will be published later this year, outlining plans for reform to improve the system and how it’s funded. We hope this will provide the long-term solution so desperately needed. People with MS who rely on social care should be able to access the support when they need it.

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